Chapter 10
The griffon general Griffith read the report and nodded. Again, the changelings were making the hit and run attacks. Not even attacking; just as if teasing. Taunting.
It was a fatal mistake.
He pushed another pin in on his map. Oh, they may have tried to be sneaky, and vary their approach direction; but mapping out the incidents had showed that changelings had always come from one general area: the badlands.
But where exactly was their hive? The badlands were just that: bad lands. Not places you wanted to march an army, especially if you had no idea just how far down they’d flown. Among the reports of changelings, there were also many reports of sudden, blinding sandstorms in that area from their patrol groups, and an army with no morale was no better than no army at all. Already he’d heard reports of griffons deserting the army, and at least one of those a griffoness from one of the scouting parties. He scowled. This tent was getting pretty stuffy, anyway. He stepped out.
His path took him right outside, and right past the five prisoners. The orange pony shook her head free from the restraint. “It ain’t gonna work!” she called.
Griffith rolled his eyes. “Muzzle her,” he ordered. Again, he silently added. He spread his wings and flew upwards. These ponies were resilient… and irritating. If Grinda hadn’t insisted that this was the best way to draw out the changeling queen, he would never have gone for it. The rainbow-colored one was already wearing a metal muzzle and chains wrapped thrice around her wings, and she still required three griffons to maintain when she got all riled up. The pink one was wearing a hood, and even still he could hear her chattering, badly enough that it was starting to infest his dreams. These stupid ponies had been nothing but a pain in his-
His mental train of thought derailed. There by the borders of the camp were four changelings, one of whom was holding a white flag of truce. They were protected under a thick green magical shield.
And they were nearing the camp.
Griffith nodded, impressed against his will. It took guts to march all the way down here to the main griffon army. Maybe they’d leave alive. He whistled sharply to bring the attention of his army over, and then landed, drawing all attention over.
The four changelings didn’t flinch at all. While two remained upright, holding the shield, two leaned over, working together to set up four bug-like artifacts. When all were in place, the bugs’ wings opened, and green light shot out, connecting them all together. As the changelings backed away, they grew together and morphed until a green magic portal seemed to open; like a round picture with a smokey frame surrounding it.
A purple alicorn’s face appeared. Upon her head was a small black crown, with three balls atop the spikes. “General Griffith,” she began.
Griffith raised an eyebrow, moderately surprised that she called him by name. He knew hers, of course; her picture was plastered over all the posters. “Twilight Sparkle.”
If she felt any offense that he had neglected to use her royal title, she didn’t show it. “I know you have my friends, and so now you have my attention. What do you want?”
“Your head,” Griffith answered swiftly. “On my wall.”
The griffons laughed. Good.
Twilight narrowed her eyes. “I’m flattered; but without my friends’ freedom, I won’t even give you a swish of my tail.”
Griffith narrowed his eyes, knowing full well that his entire army was watching. “We don’t negotiate with changelings.”
“Leave my friends out of this,” Twilight insisted. “They’re not part of it. It’s me you want; let them go.”
Griffith just smirked, suddenly enjoying this power he had over her.
One side of Twilight’s mouth curled up. “It sounds difficult, carrying five valuable hostages around with you everywhere you go. If Equestria were to find out you have them, of course, that would spark a public outrage; and it would be quite difficult to face war on multiple fronts, from both the changelings, ponies, and whoever else decided to try and gain a larger slice of the pie; and it definitely would be quite difficult to paint us changelings as aggressors then. Furthermore, the badlands cover a large swath of Equestria; and what’s not sandy is rocky, there are dead trees wherever there are trees, there’s no shade and even less water. And I hear the sandstorms are terrible this time of year. You might not even be able to…” She waved a claw in front of her face, “see your own claw in front of you.”
Griffith tensed. He recognized that claw; or at the very least, the ring she wore. It was an exact copy of the one he wore. She was taunting him, again. Time to return the favor. “Bold words, from a coward who hides behind walls and disguises.”
That seemed to set her off slightly. “Changelings are apex predators,” she snarled, baring her very blunt, flat, pony, herbivore teeth. “The only reason you’re still alive right now is I want my friends back alive and unharmed. But if it’s a battle you want, it’s a battle you’ll have. Bring my friends and your armies to the plains twenty leagues east of Griffonstone in three days’ time. I’ll make certain they’re unharmed; and then, upon my word as queen of the changelings, we’ll have a battle the likes of which you’ll never hear of again.” Her eyes narrowed. “But if they’re harmed in any way, we will disappear, and the infiltrations will resume—only this time, upon all of your lands. In your cities. In your settlements. And you, and your children, and your children’s children will be hunting us for the rest of their lives.”
And here she goes and solves my problem for me. Griffith neared the portal, passing over his dagger in favor of drawing his battleaxe. “I accept your proposal. We shall indeed have our battle… and the changeling threat shall be wiped off the face of Equestria!” He brought down his weapon, crushing the bug pods. Magic sparked and crackled as they separated and crumbled, and he smashed them again and again until they were barely recognizable as magic artifacts.
The griffons cheered. Griffith turned to face them. “Prepare to march!” he ordered. “The time of our triumph approaches! And we shall be victorious!”
* * *
It was early morning. The fog still clung onto the ground. And all around the atmosphere was tense. Today was the day!
Assuming, of course, that Twilight Sparkle kept her word. Doubtful (being a lying changeling); but still possible.
It hadn’t taken three days to get here. It hadn’t even taken one. So, having arrived early, they had set up camp and prepared for the changelings to come. But the griffons had gotten restless. They weren’t so good at being shoved together in such a small-ish area, and the ominous threat of war had left everyone on edge. Griffith had briefly wondered, after being impelled to break up yet another fight, if Twilight had done this on purpose.
Perhaps more to keep busy than anything else, they’d built a little stand for the hostages. Grinda, who approved of this course of action, had even sent a giant iron cage for Twilight along with this week’s pay, and it hung from the stand, swaying ominously in the air, ready to hold the threat.
“Sir!”
Griffith looked up, and looked where the lookout was pointing. A purple alicorn had materialized from the fog, striding forward purposefully. To her left, another unicorn walked, wearing a tall pointed hat and cape.
“Trixie?” the orange earth pony asked, squinting.
Apparently it was; or maybe they all knew ponies among these changeling traitors. Either way, closely following them was a long row of changelings, marching in lockstep. Behind them, another row.
Griffith smirked. “Ha. Here they…”
Another row followed. And another. And another.
“...come?”
And another. And another. How many changelings were there? It seemed like they were trying to drown out the sand in that black chitin; row after row marched out of the fog and into view in perfect lockstep.
In perfect lockstep.
They neared, and the griffons tensed as they lined up in a counter-formation. Weapons bristled, claws gleamed, beaks flared. It was a powderkeg, waiting to explode.
Twilight stopped and held up her hoof, and the changelings stopped marching. When they’d stopped, she continued walking forward, nearing the stand. She walked under and out of sight of those on top; but not for long. With a burst of green light, she appeared right in front of her bound friends, making the griffon bodyguards jump.
“Are you girls ok?” she demanded, running a hoof over the nearest strap on Rainbow’s body. She reached over to the strap on Applejack. “Did they hurt you at all?”
Rainbow Dash shook the muzzle off enough to talk. “Twilight! It's a trap!” she warned.
Twilight smirked and held a hoof over her lips. “Shh! Don't give it away!” she hissed in a stage whisper, waggling her eyebrows.
Rainbow was stunned into silence.
With a quick burst of green energy, Twilight reappeared before Griffith. “I’m here,” she said, her tone formal once again. “Release them.”
Griffith nodded. He turned back around, as if to give the order…
Then spun back around and drove his knife into Twilight’s chest. Twilight coughed wetly and collapsed back on her haunches, hooves covering the handle.
Her friends gasped and cried out. “Twilight!”
“You monster!”
Even Trixie gasped in shock.
And then Twilight stopped. She straightened up, standing on all four hooves. She looked down at the dagger embedded in her chest, as if curious. She lit her horn.
And then she pulled the dagger out if her chest and held it up, examining it. There wasn’t even a trace of blood on it; it had come out completely clean.
“Fascinating,” Twilight whispered as she rolled the blade up with her green magic as easily as if it had been made of tin foil instead of hardened steel. She dropped it disinterestedly, and stepped on it with a forehoof. “And what are you going to do after you kill me, I wonder?”
Griffith took a slight step back, hyperventilating. Only his training kept him from shrieking. Impossible! That was impossible! How…?
“I know what I'm going to do,” Twilight continued pleasantly, her voice still in that low, calm tone. “Ithir, if you would, please?”
The nearest griffon bodyguard—how many of them had there been on the platform?—lunged at him. In midair, with a burst of green flames, the bodyguard was revealed as Ithir, and he buried his fangs in his throat. Griffith collapsed, his body twitching weakly.
This must have been the signal; Trixie slumped over, her facade broken, panting as if she'd just run a marathon. As she did, all the changelings save the first two rows disappeared.
“Magic!”
But there was yet more magic to be had.
Having been forced together in a small area against their nature, the griffons had tended to congregate in groups based on where they’d come from (because those were the few griffons they could actually tolerate). And the groups hadn't mixed very well.
And some of those groups of griffons weren’t actually griffons.
With further bursts of green fire, changelings revealed themselves as such; usually in large groups, but every once in a while a lone changeling appeared, having infiltrated other groups. Their attacks were simple; it was pure biting. And the bites were startlingly effective; it seemed to only take one bite to leave the griffons on the ground, twitching.
There was the sound of metal hitting wood, and Twilight’s friends looked around to see that they’d been freed. Twilight grinned. “If you want to help, you can; but I think we’ve got it handled.”
“No way!” Rainbow shouted. “I want in!” She looked over the edge, and her mouth curled up. “Sonic painboom!” she cried as she leapt off the edge.
Twilight shook her head, but could not keep the smile off her face. Especially as her other friends jumped off the platform as well.
Soon enough, the changelings’ (and now ponies’) influence spread; more griffons were hitting the ground hard, and only a few of the changelings had been injured. What made it more fascinating was the fact that the changelings could heal from almost any injury; Rarity gasped as a changeling was nearly split in half by an axe, only to burst into green fire and land, completely whole, snarling... and drawing the griffon's attention away from the other changeling behind him.
As the tide turned, some griffons began to flee; but before any could leave, another squadron of changelings burst from the hills, having been disguised as rocks. But they weren’t here to fight; instead, a green shield shimmered into existence, trapping them inside. Pound as the griffons might, there was simply no way for them to break the shield.
And with their attentions on the shield, they were left open to attacks from behind.
And just as the final skirmishes were winding down (and changelings were wandering around, hacking up colored gunk into the injured changelings’ mouths, nearly making Rarity throw up something herself), Fluttershy looked up and gasped. A new army approached, flying hard towards the fray. Grinda must have sent reinforcements!
Twilight gasped as well. “This wasn’t planned,” she murmured. Still, a queen must always be willing to step up to any threat. She narrowed her eyes, and took off, charging directly towards the approaching army, outstripping even Rainbow Dash in her rush to defend her changelings and friends from this new threat. With a shouted command in a language nopony understood, the shield was dropped, and she flew singlehandedly to face this new group.
“Twilight!”
* * *
The griffons marched in a large group. They were jovial, if a bit injured. Many of them wore field dressings, bandages and slings.
In the center of the group marched a few that weren’t griffons. A mare with a yellow coat and a long pink mane sobbed silently, tears dampening the chain around her neck. A pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane and bound in plenty of chains, tossed her head irritably at the bit in her mouth. An orange earth pony mare scowled at the ground, chewing defiantly on the bit in hers. A pink earth pony walked slowly, her mane deflated. A white unicorn stood with her head held as high as she could, but it was clear that she was fighting back tears.
And bringing up the rear, and surrounded by the most uninjured of guards with weapons out and in claw, there was a purple alicorn, head bowed, bound by all four hooves with thick chains, trapped in a giant iron cage.
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... I'm gonna assume that it's not what it looks like?
Good suspense though.
me thinks its a trap by twilight for the griffon higher ups
they haven't captured the actual twilight or when the messenger hears about this and informs celestia, celestia will bring the wrath of the sun down upon them...
This is so totally a final infiltration.
...ten Bits says the bound Twilight is actually Trixie in disguise.
This was to shifty to not be part of the plan, and I think Twilight's friends where definitely not in on it, to add credibility to it. This was a great chapter, I can't wait to see what other surprises that you have in stored for us in the next chapter. I am think that Twilight's plans was never to beat the griffins head on conflict but to use the subdiffused, to that the foot soldiers will completely lose confidence in their leadership to the point that there reputation dragged so much in the mud that they would be the laughing stock of their entire race with their names synonymous for arrogance and foolishness. And I think that Twilight will make sure that the that ridicule will last for centuries to come.
I'm still waiting for the 'ex machina'. Kinda still hoping Twi wasn't bluffing with getting Equestria and others involved. Really want to see the Griffons reduced to nothing.
In reference to the ending:
Its a trap!!
Bah. You are a shameless tease.
If Twilight has a alliance treaty with Equestria, the griffins are in deep trouble.
I don't think Celestia will like hearing her student was taken prisoner.
Luna is going to be pissed that the ponies who saved her from the Nightmare are in chains.
Not to mention what Cadence and Shining Armor will bring to the party.
All they need is ONE changeling to have seen this fight and escape.
HEY Griffins, start writing your wills!!!!!
Haha, honestly I was expecting Twilight to just turn the army to ash herself. Griffon's don't exactly have any magic themselves.
welp the Griffins are about to be exterminated
The Griffins are in Equestrian territory and attacking Equestrian hero's that are part of the national defence. The Princesses will look weak and invite attack and destruction if they don't do anything.
Oh, those poor stupid griffons. They're going to fall for this hook, line, and sinker, aren't they?
Are any of Twilight's friends actually there? I hope not, if only so we can get a scene with the griffon prisoners, changeling captors, and freed ponies going back home. Gives us time for Rainbow Dash and Gilda to have a little talk. If the five of them were up on a stage, then them being kidnapped and imprisoned like that wasn't any sort of secret. When she first met Grahm-as-Dash, was she intending to capture "Dash" while she had conveniently walked into their clutches?
I loved how you set up this chapter and how masterfully Twilight controlled everything. It was great... although I do wonder if she knew that she could survive being stabbed, or if that was an unexpected but fortuitous discovery. She didn't transform, after all. Why no blood, though? It can't have been an illusion or Grumpy General Griffon Griffoth would have felt the lack of resistance.
Good idea with the shapeshifting as a means of healing, though. I suppose it wouldn't help much if they lost too much blood first, but before then it's just a matter of sticking the pieces of the body back together.
This suffered greatly for not being drawn out and given its due, i feel like you are getting more and more rushed as the story goes on. Within a few chapters i expect to see nothing more than a paragraph before flashing forward to the next scene. Which is unfortunate as this had such potential.
To Grinda: By holding 5 heroes of Equestria in an attempt to capture Twilight Sparkle, you have declared WAR against Equestria.
You have one chance to prevent the death of your realm and yourself: Release the elements of harmony and cease your genocidal war against the Changelings. If you do not, then you and all of your government and military officers shall DIE.
THUS DECREES PRINCESS LUNA!
Something tells me this is part of twilight's plan.
I see what you did here.
*splits a few cords of wood and starts up a huge fire in the pit humming a joyly tune* Oh the silly foolish prideful griffins just let a enemy army walk right in to their capital city buahahahahahaha how nice of em.
Bwahahahaaaa, this is so much fun, need more..! :O - Great writing still, of course, but Eeeee..! So looking forward to seeing what all happens with this.
8002233
This is still a thing that is bugging (pun intended) me. What is the logic that equestria cannot do anything for its own citizens?
8003961 Sadly, since only a chosen few have a direct line to Princess Celestia, her receiving news can be rather slow. And then actually acting on it...
Celestia: Dear sister, why are you wearing your armor?
Luna: We are at war! I knew those foul gryphons could never truly be trusted.
Hmmm.... can you really prevent Twilight from teleporting out of the cage ...with only chains? (she teleported out of the sticky spider web before)
I CAN'T EVEN
8002468 If it isn't, I'm revoking her Chessmaster licence.
It's clearly the end...
I have only one thing to say about the ending: Obvious trap is obvious.
It's Troy all over again!
It's incredibly unlikely the Griffons would have been able to send a fresh platoon in like that, not after what we've been shown. What is Twilight playing at....?
Keep going! ;)
It's obvious, the next chapter will do some back and forth between what occurred during the battle and what is currently going on, also obvious trap... Though none the less genius. Keep up the good work *smiles* sadly Chrysalis did die though, but Twilight will continue to make good on her memory hehe... Glory be to the changeling empire!
8017567
Twilight did say this action ended with Grinda, now she's going to see Grinda. That army of "Griffons" will get a free ride right to her...
8047824 how considerate of Twilight!
8047792
The griffons aren't a great evil that can only be beaten by a power that can only be wielded by Twilight and friends.
It's a diplomatic conflict.
As rulers Celestia and Luna should at least try to make contact with the griffons and settle this peacefully first.
I think this apathetic reaction doesn't fit them.
This story isn't dead... it's just sleeping! (In a coma)
You would think that capturing the Elements of Harmony, the equivalence of stealing a few hundred nukes in our world, would be a declaration of war.
Heh. Good thing the Griffins are so blinded by their greed and fear that they don't think to check the soldiers are indeed their own.
Granted they have no way to know when reports are falsified till they speak to some one on the ground. And seeing as that person most likely is now a changeling...well....yeah there is no way to see this coming from their perspective
8048167
I wonder if the reason is so Twilight comes out looking good. An anti-changeling law is going to be difficult to support if changelings are proven to not be the monsters they're portrayed as.
8161893
Exactly. I wonder what the fuck's going over Celestia's head, thinking that it's not of their problems as well.